Put the Fire Out Before They Smell the Smoke

Your clients may never see your vendor emails, your production notes, or the quiet fixes you make in the background. But they absolutely feel the result. That "certified difference" shows up as ease, trust, and the unmistakable sense that someone capable is leading the room.

In this episode, Senior Educator Krisy Thomas is joined by Master Certified Wedding Planners and CWP Society Educators Emma Cockerham and Riley Snyder to connect the dots between vendor leadership and the client experience — because vendor management isn't just timelines and checklists. It's the real work that protects the visible wedding day.

Emma breaks down what certified planners do differently: how to cultivate mutually beneficial vendor partnerships, communicate with expert follow-through, and hold professional standards without apology. Riley brings the client-side lens — how strong vendor leadership reduces couple stress, prevents vendors from bypassing the planner, and builds the kind of trust that carries through the entire planning process.

The conversation gets practical about hard moments too, because professionalism isn't proven when everything goes smoothly. You'll hear how to respond when a vendor falls short with grace and courage, how to recap expectations without burning bridges, and how to put the fire out before the client smells the smoke. If you've ever wrestled with how much to share when something goes sideways, this episode walks through a clear framework for protecting the couple's experience while staying transparent when it truly matters.

Ready to elevate how you lead vendors and serve couples? Visit cwpsociety.com to explore certification, then subscribe, share this with a planner friend, and leave a review so more wedding pros can raise the standard.

www.cwpsociety.com | info@cwpsociety.com | IG: @cwpsociety | FB: @cwpsociety

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to the Wedding Planner Society podcast, brought to you by the CWP Society.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Welcome to the Wedding Planner Society Podcast, brought to you by the CWP Society, the Rolls Premier Wedding Planner Certification Program and membership. I am Chrissy Thomas, Senior Educator with the CWP Society, and I am really glad that you guys are tuning in today. So whether you're driving somewhere, folding a mountain of laundry, or stealing five minutes of quiet before your next consultation, go ahead and settle into today's episode. What we are talking about today is something I think about a lot. And I hope by the time you're done listening, this is something that you're going to start pondering also. Now, I want you to sit with something in this moment, the certified difference that your clients can feel. Feel not see, not read in a bio, not find on a website, but to feel. Because here's the thing: your clients are paying attention to the things they can't quite always name. They don't have the vocabulary for what's happening behind the scenes. They can't articulate exactly why one planning experience feels different from another, but they know they can feel it. They have either a sense of ease or maybe of trust or of being in capable of hands. That feeling comes from somewhere. And understanding where it comes from is what today is really about. I want us to talk about vendor management. And I want you to resist the urge to think of it in a way where most of us were introduced first to it, meaning the logistics, contracts, timelines, checklists, all of those things. Those things absolutely do matter, but to me, they're kind of surface level. The real skill underneath them is something different. Vendor management at its highest level is leadership. It's knowing how to bring a group of professionals, each with their own priorities, their own workflows, and their own version of a successful event, but then unifying them around one shared vision, which is our client's vision. Now that's not just a coordination skill, that's a people skill, a communication skill and a standard skill. And it requires intentional development. Here's a useful way to think about it. Every wedding you plan has two timelines running at the same time. The ones that your clients see, the ceremony, the cut to hour, the first dance, the K-cutting. And then there's the one that they never see: the production timeline, the vendor cues, the load-in schedule, the quiet problem solving that happens in the background so that nothing disrupts the one thing that they do see. Your job is to manage the invisible timeline so flawlessly that your client never even knew it existed. This is the work and this is what you're really doing behind the scenes. Here's what I want you to understand about how that invisible work reaches your clients. It reaches them through you, through your presence, your calm, your certainty. When you walk into a venue walkthrough and you already know what questions to ask. When you sit across from a vendor in a final meeting and you know exactly what to confirm and what to hold them to, when something shifts on the day and you handle it without flinching, your client feels all of that without seeing any of it. The calm you project is not a personality trait. It's a product of knowing your material. It's a product of preparation that runs so deep it actually becomes just instinct. I hear from planners all the time who describe a version of this where they're doing the work, they're showing up, they're putting in the hours, but there's still some gap between what they're doing and how to confidently explain why it's the right approach. And not just to clients, but even to themselves. And that gap matters because, again, guys, clients can feel it. They can feel the difference between a planner who is just kind of moving through the task and a planner who is leading your process with full command of every decision they're making. That second version of yourself, the one who walks into every room knowing exactly why, that is something that is built, not just stumbled into. And I want to give you something concrete that you can take with you. Think about the last time you communicated an expectation to a vendor. How did you frame it? Did you frame it as a preference? Or did you frame it as a standard? Because there's a real difference there. A preference is something that you would like, but a standard is something your client deserves and something you hold yourself and your team to without apology. Planners who operate from standards, the ones who clearly define what they expect, communicate it professionally, and follow through when something falls short. Now, those are the planners who build vendor relationships that are genuinely different. Vendors know what to expect from them. And they show up differently because of it. They communicate better, they bring their best work, and that ripple effect of that reaches all the way to the client experience on the wedding day and even during the entire wedding planning process. This is why who you are in your vendor relationships is not separate from who you are for your clients. It's the same thing, but it's just kind of expressed in two different directions. Your clients are counting on you to know the difference between a good vendor communication and a great one, between a timeline that works and a timeline that flows, between a walkthrough that just checks a box and a walkthrough that actually catches problems before they become moments your clients will never forget, but for all the wrong reasons. That level of professionalism, precision is learnable, it's teachable, and it changes everything about the experience your clients have. So today I get to have a conversation with two people who live this work every single day and also teach it to others. Emma Cockerham and Riley Snyder are both master certified wedding planners and certified educators with the CWP Society. Emma is based in Tennessee. Riley is down in Florida. Emma's focus when it comes to education is vendor relations, the art and the craft of building professional partnerships that serve your clients at the highest level. And Riley focuses on client relations, how the way we communicate, set expectations, and show up for our clients is shaped by the professional foundation that we build. What I love about having them both here is that their areas of focus are really two sides of the same thing. The work you do with your vendors and the experience your clients have are not separate. One creates the other. And Emma and Riley are going to bring that to life in a way that's going to stick with you. Emma and Riley, welcome back to the podcast. You two are my favorite duo because, again, both things that you guys focus on are two sides of the same coin, basically. So having you together is always just filled with like a lot of fun, meaty goodness for our listeners to kind of chew on, basically. So thank you both for being back here.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Thanks, Chrissy. Thanks, Chrissy. Excited to be here.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Of course. And I want to start with something I think every planner listening can relate to. There's a version of vendor management that most of us maybe figure out on our own. And then there's a version that certification teaches us. So for both of you, what is the most significant shift you've you've experienced in how you approach your vendor relationships after gaining your certification? And Emma, I'll start with you, Riley. Feel free to jump in after Em.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Yeah, you know, Chrissy, listen, I feel like I feel like I've always known, and there's so many planners who can say the same thing, that weddings can't happen without a team. And that's that's true, sure. But the certification progress process showed me how valuable and truly irreplaceable your vendor team really is for you. Every success on a wedding day can be attributed to that vendor team. And treating those pros with that level of respect is everything. And honestly, nine times out of 10, if a major issue arises on a wedding day, it isn't a vendor who you have trusted and approved.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

Yeah, that you're correct. That's definitely nine times out of 10 that that's happened. Riley, what about you?

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Yeah, I love this question. And to echo off of what Emma said, you know, one of the biggest shifts for me after the certification was becoming actually more intentional about the vendors I work with. Instead of just booking based on their availability, I now focus on building those relationships with vendors who share the same level of professionalism as I do, right? So my vendors know what to expect from me, and vice versa. Ultimately, it leads to a better communication and more collaboration, which that teamwork makes a huge difference in the overall experience for a client.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

Yeah, I would say my experience was exactly the same and realizing, like what Emma said, the team is a huge piece of a wedding day. And for me, I I realized early on that a really bad vendor team can make or break my entire client's experience. And I get so mama bear with my clients, like and their wedding and the integrity of it that I want to protect them in the best way possible. And the the best way for me to do this is to build a vendor team that's going to take care of them and not just trusting what I see on social and oh, they look really good. They've got a pretty website. There's so much more to that to building a really great team. And the CWP society is what taught me that and how important that is. And like you said, Emma, it's it's essentially it's irreplaceable to make sure that you have a really great vendor team.

SPEAKER_03 9:52

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

Now, Emma, you've spent a lot of time thinking about the structure behind vendor relationships, the way that a certified planner approaches that differently. You know, I talked in the opening about how clients can really feel that difference, even if they can't quite name it. So, from your experience, what are the specific things that a certified planner does in the vendor management process that a client would never see, but they would absolutely feel it?

SPEAKER_03 10:16

Yeah. You know, I think it comes down to just cultivating and nourishing those relationships. And I mean this in more of like a friendship style vendor relationship. And I mean, this is this is important too, of course, it is. But it's also about that mutually beneficial relationship between you and your vendor team or your vendor partners. When we're not only working for the client, but we're working for each other. The try, the client really feels the difference. And many times they get way more value added than what they actually are paying for. And everyone feels that, of course. You know, one of the things I tell my clients too is that I help them build a team of vendors who aren't going to let them down or make them regret their investment. And that comes down to the way that they're going to work with me just as much as they're working for a contract.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Absolutely. Riley, I want to bring you into this because you know, what Emma is describing, obviously, she mentioned the vendor side, the preparation, the communication, the standards. And like Emma said, it does eventually reach the clients, and that's going to reach them through us, through the relationship that the vendor team has with the planner. How does the way a planner manages the vendor team directly shape the experience the client has on the wedding day and maybe even throughout the entire process? What does that look like, Riley, from the client relation side?

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Oh my goodness, how a planner manages their vendor team really impacts the overall experience for the client. When everyone is communicating well and understands the plan, the process feels a lot more seamless and less stressful for the couple. From the client side, it means they're not having to coordinate multiple vendors, they're not having to worry about timing or chase down those answers. So the planner is keeping everyone aligned and making sure things ultimately stay on track. Then on the wedding day, the magic happens, and that's where the preparation really shows. Everything seems to flow more smoothly, vendors, you know, collaborate together, and the couple can actually relax and enjoy their day instead of worrying about the logistics.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

You know, it also builds a lot of trust throughout the planning process. So when clients see their planner confidently leading the vendor team and handling that communication behind the scenes, they feel more comfortable stepping back, knowing that everything is going to be taken care of.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Yeah. And on the flip side, when the planner is not doing those things, when the planner doesn't appear as if they're handling everyone, or when the vendors are just skipping the planner and going straight to the couple, that is planning all kinds of seeds of distrust and they're not able to enjoy their day. And in fact, they're probably they're feeling stressed and anxious of like, why are you coming to me with this? Have you not talked to my planner? Why are you avoiding my planner? And they're like, the planner doesn't know the answers, or the planner is not leading in the way that they should. And kind of on that same topic of, you know, hard moments, I want us to go deeper here because I feel like this is where a certification really proves its value because it's easy to manage vendors when everything is going smooth. But the real test for us as planners is when something isn't. So, Emma, when a vendor falls short of expectation, whether it's during the planning process or maybe even on the event day itself, how does a certified planner handle that in a way that protects the client, but while also not blowing up the relationship you have with that vendor?

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Right, right. You know, uh, y'all hear me say this a lot, but I think the first step here is grace. I I love what you said um earlier about who you are with your clients versus who you are with your vendors, that same thing in both directions. Chrissy, that's gold. And I think it's really important for us to give ourselves grace and to give, you know, those vendors grace when things happen, right? Recognize that we're all human. That doesn't make it acceptable. It certainly doesn't make it okay for it to happen again, right? But it does just set up a relationship, I guess, baseline when you're about to have a tough conversation with one of your vendor partners. Um, I think the second piece is having the courage to recap with your vendor. It does take a little bit of that, right? From a planner side, wanting to be people pleasers and whatever. It does, it's necessary to preserve your relationship and you know, be an advocate for your client too. Um, so sometimes it's just a simple email, sometimes it's a good excuse for coffee. But I think almost always it's going to merit an actual conversation, talk about what happened, how do we get better, how do we make sure it doesn't happen again, and taking a little responsibility about how, as a planner, how could I have helped you do your job a little bit easier? Right. Kind of coming at it from all of those um places, both as an advocate and with that humility. And then the third is a way to make it right, right? And sometimes, you know, or partially, sometimes financially is a part of it. And then also it's partially with your relationship with that vendor to make sure that it's not going to happen again and that you guys can move forward in a way with that's friendship and mutually beneficial. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

What I love about all three things that you mentioned here was you still were able to do your job and still able to advocate for your clients without burning a bridge with a vendor. Right. I think sometimes what happens in those moments of panic, in those moments of mess ups, that sometimes our emotions can get the best of us. And especially as a planner, we can snap, we can be like, and we're done. I'm taking you off my list. And I will say having that grace, knowing that this may be worth a having a conversation, especially if it's a vendor who this is not normal. If this is not their normal behavior, let's have this conversation so that way we can make sure to get to the kind of the bottom of it and make sure moving forward, this doesn't happen again. There are sometimes in moments where the people mess up, like you said, they're human, where it's worth managing and keeping and maintaining that relationship. There's a way to do so where you're still honoring your clients of like, hey, you messed up, you're gonna have to fix it with my clients. What can we do to make sure this doesn't happen again? I still want to work with you, but you have to have those conversations. And those are hard conversations to have. And I think sometimes as planners, since we are at our core people pleasers, we can also be avoiders and avoid those conversations altogether and just be like, and I'm just gonna the rug and never work with them again. Why? If it's not to that extent where it's like you don't have to completely burn that bridge, having that grace, having that recap, and then figuring out how to make it right for your client is a really great process to honor your clients, but also honor your vendors and your relationship with them. I love that, Emma. Thanks, Riley. On the client side of difficult moments, because again, that can be very delicate. And your client may or may not know it. How do you navigate that with a client? You know, how does your professional training inform you how much you share, how you communicate, and how you hold the client's trust in a moment that could easily go sideways?

SPEAKER_01 17:03

I love these questions, Chrissy. You know, from the client side, those moments are really about protecting their experience while still handling the situation professionally behind the scenes. One of the biggest things that my training has reinforced is that the client shouldn't have to carry the stress of a vendor issue if it can be solved without involving them, right? Yeah. You know, if something goes wrong, the first step is to always assess the situation and work with the vendor to find a solution as quickly as possible. A lot of the times those conversations happen privately between the planner and the vendor. So the issue can be resolved without creating unnecessary concern for the client. For example, we recently had a wedding where the dance flower would not lock into place. No matter what the vendor tried, no matter what we tried to do, it just would not click. The good news is, you know, I communicated with the vendor without the client even knowing. And honestly, to this day, they still have no idea that that was even an issue. So because I handle that communication and problem solving directly with the rental company, they to this day still don't even know. Now, on the flip side, if the client does need to be informed, for example, we live in Florida, right? Or I live in Florida. Um, if I have to move to plan B because of rain, it's about communicating clearly and calmly while also presenting a solution to them. The goal is to maintain their trust by being transparent, but also reinsuring them that the situation is under control.

SPEAKER_03 18:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Ultimately, at the end of the day, it comes down to balancing honesty and leadership, making sure the client feels supported and confident that their planner is actually advocating for them and protecting their experience.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

What I love that you mentioned at the start of that, Riley, was you mentioned it just then too, protecting their experience. I love the way that's worded. And I feel like a lot of planners need to have that at the forefront of their brain as they're planning, and especially as they're executing things on the wedding day. I heard horror stories from photographer friends, from other vendors of like planners just not doing that, not protecting the experience, kind of wanting to create drama. Like, we're not being filmed for a reality TV show here. We don't need to have Kardashian moments of like, I need to tell you something, and like all the dramatic music in the background. These, like you said, if there's a situation where our clients don't need to know and we can fix it, we need to do that and only loop our clients in if it's necessary, but doing so in a way where we're presenting the solution and we're taking care of their experience still. It's fine line, and I think that is something that a lot of people assume they know how to do, and they're like, I don't need a certification to teach me that. No, you probably do be taught that exactly. You know, what I mentioned earlier, I how I love having you both here at the same time. And I think this next question really kind of sits at the intersection of kind of what you both teach. So, Emma, from the vendor side, what do vendors notice about certified, a certified planner that maybe they don't always see from having gone through the training?

SPEAKER_03 20:07

Yeah, um, honestly, it's it's so it's so interesting this question, right? Because you may see these things from every planner, but we take it to another level and we set an expectation for the consistent, you know, way that we work with each of our vendor partners, right? Yeah. So it's that expert level of communication. It's that follow-up, not just after the wedding necessarily, but like after every meeting that you have with a client, helping that vendor understand what's going on in the client's head that maybe they don't see that you get to see with your role, right? Follow through with that, basically do what you say you're gonna do. Sounds basic, but not always, is it? And then it's that calm on the wedding day that we've been talking about, right? That ability to get to see the inevitable fires that come on wedding days, and they always do. I think I've had like maybe weddings without a fire ever, right? Like it happens, okay?

SPEAKER_02 21:05

Something happens, and I learned something from every single wedding.

SPEAKER_03 21:08

Every time, every time. But be able to be that firefighter and put the fire out before the client ever smells the smoke is like that's that's the art of it, right? That's the beauty of it. And certified wedding planners take all of those skills to another level. And you know, if you have enough of these certified planners in your market, it becomes the expectation from a vendor planner relationship.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

A thousand person. I mean, I would just say even from our market, Emma, where we are at, because we were some of the first certified wedding planners in our market. And we we kind of set this this the stage there, set the tone of like, oh, this is what Emma and Chrissy are doing. Why is no one else doing it? And that allowed our market to elevate, and planners realized the importance of certification because vendors were like, This is different with Emma and Chrissy. Can you not do the same?

SPEAKER_03 21:56

And now we have quite a few planners in our market who are certified, and I think it Shows on just like an overall level of what weddings look like in this region.

SPEAKER_02 22:05

Yeah, exactly. Ryan, I'd love to follow up with you on kind of the same question, but obviously from a client experience side of that, how does that professional reputation a planner builds with their vendor team ultimately circle back to that client experience?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Yeah, you know, on the client side, that professional reputation makes a huge difference. You know, going back to trust, trust is ultimately key, right? So when vendors trust their planner, the whole team, going back to what I said earlier, works together more smoothly, you know, they communicate better and we all fix problems quietly behind the scenes. That means, you know, the couple can relax and enjoy the process and the wedding day, knowing their planner has everything under control. Simply put, the respect a planner earns from vendors ends up creating a calmer, more seamless, and way more enjoyable experience for the couple.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

So, guys, I talked in the opening about that shift from knowing what to do to knowing why it's the right approach, which to me is that second layer layer of confidence. Emma, how does that confidence show up in your vendor relationship specifically? Can vendors tell the difference? And does it change how maybe they even show up for you?

SPEAKER_03 23:11

It absolutely changes everything. It changes the way that your clients see you, how guests at the actual event see you, how your vendors are taking that uh relationship seriously between you during the planning process and on the wedding date, right? It's confidence in yourself. A lot of it is this nonverbal communication that we have here, right? The way you hold yourself as a person in a position of authority, it's gonna set the tone for everything. And it honestly gives those your clients that just reassurance that you've got it taken care of. Like if they see you're calm, they're that much more calm too. Yeah. Right. And then that confidence in your vendors, because when things go wrong and you are set up with the team that you trust, you know that we're gonna pivot and it's not a big deal. Yeah. Which also, you know, kind of it's like a full circle effect. It like lets you stay confident in yourself and what the execution of this event's gonna look like.

SPEAKER_02 24:05

Yeah. I know Emma, we had talked about um offline how we were helping out a local venue as a venue manager, but there was a planner on site. If you don't mind sharing that story, thanks, Chrissy.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

Yes, that is a really good example of this, actually. So um a few years ago, I was helping out a venue, um, doing some of their just on-site tours and helping as a venue representative, not a planner, for their weddings. And there was this sweet planner duo that was working this wedding. But over and over and over again, guests and vendors kept coming up to me, asking me really, you know, in-depth questions about the wedding. Even if I knew the answers, which a lot of times I did, I'm not the person to answer these questions for them, right? And having respect for the planner role, of course, I'm directing them a time and time again to these other, these other two sweet girls. And I honestly believe it is the way that the difference we were holding ourselves, those nonverbal cues that spoke volumes to everybody around us. And sometimes it's just practice for that.

SPEAKER_02 25:09

Yeah, it's it's kind of reminding how how am I showing up in the room? Because if you look scared, if you look intimidated, if you look nervous, I'm not gonna come to you with a question. I'm gonna go to the person who's standing up, shoulders back, making eye contact, smiling. I'm like, oh, she must be in charge. So I can see that. And I've seen you on wedding day, you you that's what you exude is I'm the one in charge. So I would have done the same thing. I'd have been like, oh, she must be the planner.

unknown 25:33

Great.

SPEAKER_03 25:33

I mean, it happens.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Yeah. And Riley, for clients, confidence is everything. We've talked about that a lot because that's that trust factor and they're trusting us with one of the most significant days of their lives so far. How does that professional rounding that comes from certification change the way that you hold that trust?

SPEAKER_01 25:51

Yeah, Emma, I really love that story, by the way. That was that's awesome. So um, the certification, you know, really gives me a solid foundation for handling every single part of the planning process with that confidence. You know, it's not just about knowing what to do, it's about knowing how to handle any curveball and anticipate the issues and communicate clearly with both the clients and the vendors. So that foundation lets me stay calm under pressure and make decisions confidently so my clients don't have to worry or feel overwhelmed. And ultimately, that's what they hired us to do in the first place, right? So they can trust that I've got their day covered and that everything will run smoothly from our first meeting all the way through the wedding. Certification just makes that trust feel even stronger, giving them peace of mind while still making sure they feel supported every single step of the way.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

I agree with that a thousand percent. So we're gonna wrap up in just a moment, but I want to give you both the chance to speak directly to someone who's listening right now who's maybe sitting on the fence about certification, about elevating themselves. Maybe they're experienced, maybe they're not, but they're doing the work, maybe they're not. They're just not sure if this is the right step for them. Riley, what would you say to that planner who about what they're leaving on the table for their clients when it comes to waiting? And Emma, I'd love for you to close this out as well.

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Yes, love this. So, you know, the biggest thing you're missing out on isn't just leveling up yourself. It's leveling up the experience for your clients. Let me say that again. It's not just leveling up yourself, it's leveling up the experience for your clients. Yeah. So the CWP Society certification gives you tools, systems, and strategies that make client relationships smoother, communication crystal clear, and problem solving almost effortless. Without it, you might just be getting by, but your clients aren't getting that full wow factor that they hire us for. Getting certified through the CWP Society is really an investment in your couple's experience. It lets you anticipate their needs ahead of time, handle any challenges behind the scenes like a pro, and deliver a wedding day that feels seamless and unforgettable to them. Waiting to take that step, you're just delaying giving your clients the absolute best version of yourself. And honestly, they deserve that now.

SPEAKER_03 28:13

I like that. Riley, delaying your clients the best version of yourself. Yeah, that is a quotable right there. Put that on a shirt, put that on a coffee book. That's good. That's good. Right. Well, you guys, continuous growth in yourself is everything in any profession that you choose to do. But in the wedding industry, it changes constantly. So staying relevant is not only just a good thing, it's a necessity. From a vendor relationships perspective, they can't look to you for the best advice or trust you in giving that advice to your clients on their behalf if you're not willing to invest in yourself. The CWP Society doesn't just offer, um, doesn't only offer a badge that says that you have done that investment in yourself. But the continuing education, the weekly webinars, the way that we come to bat for each other, that's what keeps you having the very best client experience, the very best vendor relationships, and makes you stay that expert in your field. And we all deserve that.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

Yeah, exactly. Emma finally, thank you both so much. I think the way that the two of you hold this work is exactly what this industry needs more of. So I'm grateful that you guys brought all your nuggets of wisdom here with us today. And I want to close with something I need you to hear. Whether you've been planning for two years or 20, the clients who hire you are trusting you with something that cannot be redone. There is no second attempt at a wedding day. There is no version to whatever your clients experience in the planning process, the ease or the anxiety, the confidence or the doubt, the seamless moments or the scrambles, that is it. That is the only version of that experience that they will ever have. You owe it to them to show up fully equipped, not because you're not talented, not because the work you're doing right now isn't meaningful, but because talent without a professional foundation leaves gaps. And your clients are the ones who are going to fall into those gaps. Certification through the CWP Society is not a title that you earn just so that way you can add letters to your email signature. It's the process through which you become the planner your clients deserve. The ones who walk into every vendor meeting, every consultation, and every wedding weekend, knowing exactly why every decision was made and exactly what to do when something doesn't go according to plan. Enla and Raleigh are both living proof of what this looks like. And so are thousands of certified wedding planners who stopped waiting and made the commitment. So if you're ready to become the planner, your clients can feel the difference in, not just the one they found online, but the one that they will never stop talking about, the path is there. And that is the CWP Society. Visit CWP Society.com, explore the certification program, and stop waiting for the right moment because this is the moment. Thank you guys for tuning in to the Wedding Planner Society podcast. Until next time, let's keep elevating the standard. Bye guys.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

And before you go, we've got a little something just for our podcast listeners. If you're ready to elevate your career as a wedding planner or coordinator, you can use code podcast to receive$75 off the executive certification program. This code is valid until the next episode releases, so be sure to take advantage while it's available. This offer can't be combined with any other discounts. Visit CWP Society.com to learn more.